Nielsen worked closely with Fisher Communications to examine how Nielsen Cross-Platform Homes panel, which delivers single-source multi-screen measurement, could provide valuable insight on Fisher’s audiences - broadcast only, online only and both - in two of Fisher’s major operating markets: Seattle, Wash. and Portland, Oreg. Measuring computer and TV usage in 25 major markets as well as nationally, Nielsen’s single-source panel provides insight about TV viewing, usage of the Internet while watching TV, as well as overall surfing and streaming activity, and acts as an ideal platform for measuring how TV stations’ sites are used and by whom.
Dates of measurement: For both Seattle and Portland, the late news time period was M-F 11:00PM-11:30PM (Live + Same Day), and the entire May 2011 sweep cycle was measured, April 28, 2011-May 25, 2011. Both Seattle and Portland offer unique opportunities for cross-platform measurement and advertisements geared towards local news viewers.
The local game is changing. Daily deal sites like Groupon and LivingSocial.com in the U.S. have altered the way businesses reach out to consumers. For years, traditional local media – TV, radio and newspapers – has struggled with how to use their websites to complement their offerings and provide more to local businesses. Local TV stations, for example, have typically put video of reports or entire newscasts on their sites. As gateways to local news and events, websites for TV stations typically attract large numbers of visitors, yet it has been difficult to determine the effects and value of those visitors.
The challenge has been leveraging “digital touchpoints,” quantifying their benefits and creating new models to attract more from local and national businesses who advertise and encourage those who otherwise might not advertise online at all.
As new technology, such as location-based couponing, measurement capabilities, and integrated TV and Internet audience measurement, brings precision to local advertising, marketers are gaining the ability to better package local ad inventory to reach customers and amplify local TV audience value, combining TV and Online. In turn, the precision enables greater efficiency, meaning the opportunity to attract advertisers to spend more, locally. In other words, there’s a fortune to be made in your own backyard.
Working with this valuable information, Fisher Communications Inc., an innovative local media company with TV, radio, Internet and mobile operations, found themselves positioned to provide their advertiser clients one-stop TV and digital local exposure. Fisher needed to better understand their own online and offline audience in order to better leverage content and advertising inventory through a group metric that could reflect their diverse portfolio and compete with other hyper-local offerings. They wanted to focus on evening and late news because that is where the dominant share of the revenue lay.
With content, on-air talent, community relationships and, most importantly, established sales teams on the ground, local TV stations have never been in a better position to value and sell advertising space on their sites. Broadcast plus online represents an incredibly powerful combination for the future of local advertising.
